Ryan Lewis and the Hidden Prophecy: Year One
by Gryffindyl
Summary: When Ryan Lewis discovers she's a witch, she's filled with joy to know there's more to her ordinary world than she thought. But she learns that there's more to the Wizarding world then discovering her powers and who she is. As she learns about the dark forces that still plague the Wizarding World, she learns she may be more involved in them than she wants to believe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story will follow along the same timeline as the original Harry Potter books. I will try to keep it as canon as possible, except for when inserting my OC. This is the first fan fiction I've written in a while, but I'm planning to follow along with all 7 books. Please let me know anything that you believe could help the story or let me know if there's anything I miss. Thank you all, hope that you like it!

* * *

Abigail and Oliver Lewis were a very nice, normal couple. They had a nice, normal house, with nice, normal jobs, and lived in a nice, normal suburb in sunny California. They had both grown up with normal, happy families and had little to no experience with anything out of the ordinary, by any means.

The Lewis' had a daughter however, who was extraordinary by very many means.

Alexandria Ryan Lewis was, on the surface, a very normal girl. On the inside of her incredible little mind, however, she was very far from it. By the time she was 5 she chose to go by her middle name, because she liked the feeling of being a little bit different than the rest of the little girls her age, and Alex or Alexandria was just much too common for her taste. She had also decided very early on, that though she wasn't sure what she wanted to do when she grew up she knew, just knew, that there was something out there wondrous and awesome that was waiting for her. She simply had no idea how big.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in the middle of July in which the event she had unknowingly been waiting for occurred.

Ryan awoke slowly, her eyes alighting on the heroin of the story she had been reading the previous night, who was brandishing a sword on the front cover. She smiled in her blissful state between wakefulness and dreams as she tried to hold on to the exciting dream she had just been experiencing. She covered her head with a pillow, groaning as she heard the soft sound of her mother's voice through the door.

"Ryan? Are you awake, sweetie?"

She paused just a moment too long in answering, and she heard the opening of her door as her mother walked in.

"Come on Ry, breakfast is on the table and you have to eat before your game. Your uniform is in the basket in the hall."

Ryan wondered if she could pretend to be asleep and stay in bed just a little bit longer, but her mother seemed to understand exactly what she had been thinking as Ryan felt her pulling back the comforter she was nestled under. A second later, the pillow was being lifted from her face and she was staring into the warm, brown eyes of her mother. Her mother was smiling down at her, her dark brown hair tumbling around her face in tight curls. "Come on, lazy. Time to get up."

"Mooom," Ryan said, her voice still rough with sleep.

"We'll be waiting downstairs. Don't make me come back and dress you!" Her mother said with a laugh in her voice as she closed the door again behind her. Ryan looked towards the window where the bright sun was streaming in. She wasn't sure why, but she had a special feeling about this day.

Less than ten minutes later, Ryan was hopping down the hall, pulling her red, knee length socks over her neon yellow shin guards.

"You do realize this isn't a real game right mom? It's just a scrimmage against another team in the league..." Ryan huffed as she sat down.

"Yes sweetie, but the way you play in practice is how you'll play in the game."

Ryan rolled her eyes at her mother's optimism and started stuffing her face.

Her parents were very into family meals, and would make a full spread for any meal they had the chance too. The food of choice for this particular breakfast was waffles, fresh fruit, eggs, and bacon. Ryan ate her meal as quickly as possible, tugging her unruly, frizzy brown curls into braids and standing up as she heard the horn from her ride outside.

"Bye guys, love you, see you later!"

"Love you!" Her parents called at the same time as she dashed out of the house.

Ryan stepped onto the front porch, pausing with interest as an owl flew lazily overhead, heading slowly lower. She climbed into the back of the minivan and wondered what it could possibly be doing out at 8:30 am in the morning.

* * *

The minivan pulled back up in front of their little house after a long match, Ryan's thoughts far from the tawny owl from earlier. Ryan hopped out, sweaty and covered in dirt, waving goodbye to her friends as the van drove off. She froze on her walk to the door as she noticed the same owl from earlier sitting on the top of her house. She tilted her head, thinking it was definitely very strange to see an owl at this time, let alone one that had been sitting there in broad daylight for 3 hours. She walked inside, tossing her soccer bag onto the floor by the couch and heading upstairs to change out of her mud covered uniform. She couldn't help her mind wandering to the owl outside and thinking of all the fantastical reasons an owl could be breaking its regular routine to sit on her house, of all houses.

She dressed quickly and head back down to the living room to plop down in front of the computer, to look up different types of owls that would be up and around during the day. As she was reading a particularly interesting piece on Northern Pygmy owls, she heard a tapping on the window across the living room by the door. She glanced up and saw a large tawny owl pecking lightly at the window and letting out hoots muted by the glass. She frowned slightly. She hadn't seen the other owl up close, but this one looked larger. What could possibly bring two owls to her house at such random times?

She hopped out of her chair and ran to the front door to let it in, completely oblivious to the fact that she should probably not have been letting strange owls inside the house without the permission of her parents. The owl flew in gracefully, landing on the dining table, ruffling its feathers and hooting happily. Ryan stared at it for a moment in wonder before approaching it slowly, tentatively. The owl blinked large eyes at her and simply stared as she made her slow approach, as if this were completely normal. Once she was close enough, she slowly reached out a hand, which the owl nuzzled against, nipping lightly at her fingers.

She gasped slightly as she felt the owl's cold beak and jerked her hand back. It hooted with what she could swear was an annoyed tone, and stuck out it's leg importantly. She only then noticed that there was something tied to it. She reached toward the thin silk ribbon that kept the letter attached to its leg nervously, and then continued with more confidence as the owl let her untie it with no problems. She stared at the letter in her hands. The envelope looked like old paper, paper she had only seen in movies and bookstores before. She turned it over and inspected the dark red seal, running her fingers over the cool wax. Stamped into the wax was a shape with an H in the middle. The shape was split into 4 parts, with the shape of an animal in each quarter. She squinted trying to figure out what the animals were, and what the writing said below the seal. She gave up trying to figure out the symbol in the wax and turned it back over to read the emerald green handwriting on the front "Alexandria Lewis, 5672 Donoba Way, Folsom, California." She glanced up at the owl, who was looking at her expectantly, and back down at the letter. The owl had let out a soft hoot, and she imagined it was somewhat of an encouraging hoot. She turned the envelope over and opened it with slightly shaking hands, unsure of why she was nervous, but understanding that this was in no way normal. She pulled out the heavy papers inside (there were two of them) and started reading the one on top.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Lewis,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Ryan stared at the letter, reading it once, twice, three more times, before squealing and screaming for her mother, who came running down the hall with her hair sticking up in every direction and looking like she was about to have a heart attack.

She handed her mother the letter, grinning from ear to ear.

Her mother's eyes scanned across the letter multiple times, her brow knitting closer together with each read, before sitting down at the table. She eventually put down the letter and stared at the owl on their table before pulling out the other page that had been included with the letter. A smaller piece of paper fell to the ground, escaping her mother's notice. Ryan picked it up, reading "For all muggle parents, a representative will be provided to answer all questions. Please expect your representative the following day."

Ryan's mother stood up and grabbed the phone, walking into the other room quickly.

Ryan bounced up onto the chair her mother has just been occupying, looking through the paper she hadn't yet been able to examine. On the paper was a long list of objects. Some of them she had never heard of, and some were familiar items paired with unfamiliar words.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

 _The Standard Book of Spells_ _(Grade 1)_

by Miranda Goshawk

 _A History of Magic_

 _by_ _Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory_

 _by_ _Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

 _by_ _Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

 _by_ _Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions_

 _by_ _Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

 _by_ _Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

 _by_ _Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

Ryan couldn't stop smiling, she had always known she wasn't like her friends, and this confirmed it. She could sometimes make things happen that she didn't understand. Extraordinary things that the casual passerby would never notice, but that made Ryan wonder about the possibility of there being more to the world than she had been taught.

She could make things appear sometimes, and disappear too. She could make doors slam when she was upset, and sometimes when she was angry at someone, strange things would happen to them. Once, when Elisa Dawson gotten the dress that Ryan had desperately wanted for her birthday and flaunted it right in front of her, she had wished so badly that Elisa's perfect new dress wouldn't be so perfect, and then a puddle of mud appeared out of nowhere on a perfectly dry day in the middle of July and Elisa had slipped and fell and ruined her pretty dress.

There was another time when she was fighting with the neighborhood bully Dalton, standing in front a smaller boy who couldn't protect himself. Right as Dalton's closed fist was about to make contact with her determined face, it missed. And no matter how many times he tried to hit her, he couldn't land a punch. His hand would be aiming straight for her face and then would curve smoothly to the side, the air from his fist grazing against her face harmlessly. It was as if there were some invisible shield in front of her preventing him from doing any harm. Ryan couldn't explain it but at the time she hadn't cared too much. She had grabbed the arm of the younger boy and simply walked away from the shocked faces of Dalton's crew and an angry Dalton, looking over her shoulder only once to blow a raspberry back at them for good measure.

She had always secretly suspected she had a magical fairy godmother looking out for her, but maybe, just maybe she was magical herself. She was her own fairy godmother. She grinned even wider, which was hardly possible, at the prospect. Her Mother had found her like that, daydream-y and bouncy and had offered a small smile despite her current state of extreme shock.

"What now Mom?" Ryan had asked as soon as her mother was sitting down next to her. Her mother had let out a tired sigh

"Well, now we wait for your Father."

Ryan's mother sent her to wait in her room as soon as her father got home that day. Ryan could hardly contain herself while she waited, using every costume wand she had ever received with renewed vigor. She felt that being magical was one of the best possible things that could happen to her. It was as if she had been a puzzle, missing one of the most important parts, and this missing piece of herself fit that part perfectly. The puzzle now made sense and was finally whole.

The time dragged by as she waited for her door to open. She tried not to eavesdrop but, her curiosity getting the best of her, Ryan crept to the door on her toes, not wanting her parents to her her stomping towards it. She softly pressed her ear against the door and strained to hear the quiet tone of her parents from down the hall.

"...meet with them? No. I don't want these people in our house..."

"...if they do this to another child?"

"...don't care! It's not..."

"….we can't…."

"…she'll be heartbroken…"

Ryan slid down the door, not wanting to hear anymore, her heart sinking.

It was about an hour, although it felt like ten, before her parents opened the door and sat her down on her rumpled pink and blue dinosaur sheets, careful looks on both of their faces. Her mother crawled onto the bed and sat cross legged, her left knee resting against the wall. Her dad sat down in the same fashion as her mom on the other side of her. Ryan couldn't remember the last time her parents and she had all been on that little bed, and it gave her a bad feeling. Her mother cleared her throat and started slowly. "So, Sweetie. We have to talk about this. Magic isn't real, Ry. We're not sure what this is or who it's from. But magic just isn't real. We're so sorry you've gotten your hopes up."

Ryan's heart dropped what felt like all the way through the floor. Her smile had slowly faded, along with all the energy she had previously had, as her mother continued to speak, confirming her fears. She felt tears start to build up in her eyes and did her best to push them back.

"But the owl. That's magical. It was too smart not to be. You know that. And the letters…." She tried to give them all the reasons it had to be true, desperately trying to make them see. "Just meet them, Mom. They'll show you. It has to be real."

Her Dad spoke next. "I know you'd very much like it to be real sweetheart, and that's okay. It's okay to wish for that. We love your imagination. But magic isn't real, and we don't know these people."

Ryan looked down at her hands her lap, trying to hide her trembling lips. "Okay..."

Her parents looked at each other than back at her, her mother chewing her lip again. Her Dad sighed, then gave her a tight hug. "We're so sorry Ry."

Ryan curled up in bed that night after telling her parents she was tired and would just like to go to bed early. She stared at the wall unable to fall asleep, too many thoughts swirling around her too full head and she wished, harder than she'd ever wished in her life, that someone would come to help. Someone who could prove her parents very, very wrong.

* * *

The next day, Ryan woke up with the sense that she had had a horrible nightmare. She looked over at her window through which bright sunlight was currently streaming. Her family's cat was in her room basking happily in the rays of the warm sun, her door open. She frowned, she didn't sleep with her door open. She listened intently, staying still as a statue and heard quiet murmurs in the other room. She stood up slowly and started walking quietly down the hallway. She paused at the end, pressing her body against the wall to listen while still being hidden.

"…There are actually very many children like your daughter in the wizarding world, who grow up to be very successful witches and wizards, regardless of magical background! Some of the most successful witches and wizards come from muggle families! Why there's…."

Ryan froze, barely breathing. She had heard wizarding. But could it be? Could someone out there have heard her plea? Ryan strained to hear what they were saying over the beating of her heart, uselessly attempting to slow it down. She leaned away from the wall slightly, trying to stand on the balls of her feet and getting as absolutely close to the corner of the wall as she dared. Unfortunately, grace was not one of her strong suits and she lost her balance and stumbled, effectively ending the conversation in the living room.

Everything was silent for a moment before a bright voice that Ryan didn't recognize piped up, "Well this must be Alexandria!"

Ryan wished she had just stayed still, wanting to listen more to the conversation they had been having. She straightened up and stood as confidently as she could manage before striding out from hall as though she hadn't been eavesdropping and had intentionally made a noise.

She saw the woman right away, clearly the brightest, most colorful thing in the room. She was everything and absolutely nothing that Ryan had been expecting.

She was a young woman, very short it seemed, with some of the blondest hair that Ryan had ever seen. Her hair was in large ringlets that sprung in every direction, and seemed to move even as the woman sat perfectly still. Her bouncy hair seemed to match her incredibly bright personality.

"Good morning!" The lady bubbled in a voice that seemed much to low for a woman who looked like this, "My name is Himelda Lockey and I will be your Muggle-Magic Liaison!" She was beaming and looking between Ryan and her two parents.

Ryan was finding it hard to breathe at this moment, a smile she could hardly contain spreading across her face. Her parents were both looking at her with expressions full of concern, her mother biting her lip again.

Three sets of eyes followed Ryan as she moved shakily into the living room, sitting on the loveseat between her two parents and across from Miss Himelda Lockey.

There was no doubt in Ryan's mind that this woman in front of her was a witch. She wore a bright, almost neon, blue robe and had a large pink bag on the couch next to her. She was holding a hat in her lap, and it was as though she had pulled it straight from Hocus Pocus. The hat was pointed, but worn as though it was nowhere near new. It was the same bright blue as her robes, and Ryan suddenly got a vision of this woman walking down the street with her bright blond curls bouncing out from under the hat, receiving strange looks from everyone she walked by.

She wore heels which peeked out from beneath her robes and Ryan could see that they were the same color of her bag, with little but tightly curled ribbons springing off of them.

Himelda Lockey was smiling at Ryan as though she had never seen anything so wonderful and Ryan wasn't entirely sure if this was normal for all witches and wizards or just normal for this odd woman in front of her.

Himelda Lockey clapped her hands together, as if she had been waiting for this all day. "Well, well! Let's get _really_ started then! I'm sure you have many, many questions you'd still like answered, and I have many, many things to tell you about the wizarding world to make your daughter's transition and your understanding much easier." She beamed between Ryan's two parents, who still bore the nervous expressions on their faces.

Ryan waited until she could no longer hold it in and the question burst from her before she could help it, "Are you a real witch?"

Himelda tapped the side of her nose, as though that was the exact question she was hoping would be asked.

"That is a very good question Alexandria," Ryan smiled nervously, waiting to see what this woman would be able to show her.

Himelda directed the next part of her statement, kindly to Ryan's parents, who seemed mortified that Ryan had so blatantly questioned this woman's truthfulness (her parents were big on politeness).

"This disbelief is very common in muggles with magical children, at first. We keep ourselves very well hidden, it's one of the Ministry's laws, so it's not surprising that you don't believe we exist. It's actually a very good thing that you believed that we didn't exist. We're not allowed to show ourselves to muggles, you see. However, as your daughter is a witch, it is now very important that you understand that we do, in fact, exist." She looked back at Ryan and asked suddenly, "Do you like puppies?" Ryan nodded enthusiastically, not sure where Himelda was going with this, but excited none the less. Himelda pulled a thin stick out of the arm of one of her robes and pointed it at the pillow sitting at the base of the couch that Ryan was sitting on. Himelda's eyes narrowed and she muttered something while still pointing the strange stick. Before Ryan could process what she had said, the pillow at their feet began to wriggle and change. It first sprouted legs, then a tail, then a head, and then fur started to quickly grow out of the brown satin. Within seconds, a small chocolate lab was running around their living room, yipping happily despite the tassels that seemed to be hanging off it's ears, and the vague satin like sheen to his fur.

"Oh. Well. I never really was very good at transfiguration," Himelda said lightly, still smiling.

Ryan laughed, feeling as though she were lighter than the clouds in the sky. She knew it had been real. She had known it in her heart. She silently thanked whoever grants wishes, for making this wish come true. She looked up at her parents, hoping to see the same amount of delight on their faces. Her mother had let out a little scream and was clutching her father's arm, watching the puppy with wide eyes. Both her parents' mouths were dropped open as they looked from the puppy, back to the witch holding the stick, and back to the puppy. The puppy ran over to them, finally noticing they were there, and Ryan picked it up happily. Her mother tentatively reached out a hand to pet it, then quickly took it from her daughter. She held the wriggling animal at arm's length, turning it side to side and looking at it from different angles, as if trying to find the trick. The puppy yipped and tried to eagerly lick her hands. Ryan's dad was tugging lightly on the ears and the tail, rubbing its belly, and examining its teeth. "How did you... It looks so real." He commented, sounding as though he were in complete and utter awe.

Himelda grinned, "That's because it is real!"

This time, Ryan's mother responded "But... I don't... My throw pillow... How did this, come from that?" She set the puppy back on Ryan's lap and looked at Himelda with a mix of excitement and fear on her face. Himelda smiled and pointed her stick back at the puppy, which slowly wriggled and changed back into the plain satin throw pillow it had previously been. "Magic, my dear!"

Her parents stared at the pillow for another couple minutes, then back at the witch in front of them, in absolute shock.

"Don't worry, this is a completely normal reaction for muggles."

The strange word seemed to snap Ryan's dad out of his shock. "What's a muggle?"

* * *

And that's how it had started.

Himelda had explained that a muggle is someone is normal, or without magic. They learned that the wizarding world still has no idea why some children can become magical, when their parents are both muggles. Some have a theory that there is a witch or wizard somewhere in the bloodline, but that's impossible to prove. And it still doesn't explain why some muggle families with more than one children will have one or more magical children, and one or more non magical children. They learned that there are magical schools all over the world, and that the ministry has a way of being able to detect all the magical children in the world, so that the schools can send the letters to the correct children. The school that Ryan would be attending, Hogwarts, was somewhere in Scotland. There _was_ a school in North America, but Ryan had been chosen to go to the school in Europe instead. Himelda had said it was between the headmasters and she hadn't been told why, but that Hogwarts was the best school she could attend.

When Ryan's parents had asked her about where to get the items, Himelda said that someone could take me when I arrived in London. They pressed Himelda for more answers, but she stood up suddenly, stating she had to go. She left them her address, and said for them to "owl her if they had any more questions", (seemingly not realizing that they had no owl to send even if they did have more questions) before bouncing out the door.

Ryan ran to the window to watch her leave, and was astonished to see her look around quickly before turning on the spot and disappearing with a muffled crack. Ryan gasped and ran back to her parents who were now sitting at the table. She was going to tell them about Himelda's disappearing act but stopped when she saw her father running his hand through his hair, and her mother still staring at the door Himelda had left out of. Ryan sat on one of the chairs and looked between them.

Her mother sighed and turned back to Ryan saying, "Ryan can you please go to your room so your father and I can talk about this." Ryan pouted and got off the chair slowly, dragging herself back to her room with the least amount of speed possible.

For the second time in as many nights, Ryan was sitting in her room daydreaming about wands and magical creatures while her parents discussed her future. This time, she would go back to the door from time to time and press her ear against the cool white paint. When she did this, she could hear the faint voices of her parents from the living room where they were discussing everything they had heard earlier that day. She could hear little bits of what they were saying when they moved closer to the hall, or when their voices raised slightly.

"...if she wants a normal schooling? A normal life?"

"But we can't deny her this, she..."

"...career? What can they even do? What about college? She'll never get into a good college if she doesn't even go to….."

"...own decision concerning this. It's too big. She's..."

"...young, she's only 11 years old for crying out loud, she..."

Her parents walked further into the living room, away from the hallway and Ryan's hearing. Ryan huffed and sat back down, falling against the giant stuffed bear she had been pretending to bring to life with a fake wand, which was now lying discarded on the carpet next to her. She was so worried that they would decide she couldn't go. She thought of being stuck there, knowing that she had magic inside of her, and that she was different from everyone there. She couldn't bear the thought of them forcing her to stay, never knowing all of the things she needed to explore in this whole other world that was now a possibility. She stared out her window at the house across the way which was nearly identical to hers. She knew she couldn't go back to her normal life after this and knew that she would do whatever she had to in order to be a part of the wizarding world.

It was a little while before Ryan heard her parents' knocks on her door. She watched them warily as they entered and sat on the floor, one on either side of her. Ryan got an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, reminded of the previous night. Her father let out a breath and she expected the worst as he said "Okay honey. Your mother and I have come to a decision. We will let you go for this first year-" Ryan's eyes lit up "-BUT, this first year is a trial run; if anything goes wrong sweetie, or if we feel as though this isn't what's right for you, then this might be the only year. If it goes well and you decide this is what you want, and it seems like it will be good for your future, then we'll see. Does that sound fair for right now?" Ryan looked at her hands and didn't answer right away. She thought about saying it wasn't fair, that she wanted to know she'd be going back the next year as well, that she couldn't stand to have a taste of it just to have them take it away, that she'd throw tantrums and fits and wouldn't eat and wouldn't speak to them if they didn't let her go back. But she didn't want them to say no now. So she decided she'd just need to do whatever she could to be able to, to go back and keep going back. She nodded and said quietly, "Okay..." Her dad smiled at her and gave her shoulders a squeeze and her mother kissed her head. "Well. I guess we have some arrangements to make." Her mother said, laughing shakily. Ryan smiled and pushed away the bad mood into a small corner of her mind as she let the excitement start to fill her for the coming year.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading! This chapter might be a little long. Sorry! Again, please let me know anything that you believe could help the story or let me know if there's anything canon that I miss or state incorrectly. I would like to clarify from the last A/N a little bit. I am keeping as canon as possible with what was written and stated in the books, except for inserting my character. I'm also looking for a beta reader, so if you're interested please let me know! Thank you all again, hope that you like it!

* * *

The next few weeks were much more uneventful than Ryan had expected, and seemed to drag on, and on. It had only been July 20th when they had received the letter, two months before Ryan was supposed to start school. She anxiously watched the days pass by, often finding herself sitting at the window and waiting for the day when she would leave for this new world she was going to be a part of. The most eventful thing to happen was the arrival of a small owl at her window one starry night, with a note tied to it's leg, stating that her family could use it to respond to the school for her acceptance of her place there.

There were no instructions including, so her parents had awkwardly tied a letter (triple knot, worried it would fall off) to the impatient owl's leg with Ryan's acceptance. After they tied the letter to it's leg, it ruffled it's feathers and pecked out their fingers impatiently. It seemed to want something, but after 10 minutes of being unable to figure out what, the annoyed owl took off, hooting loudly as it flew through the open living room window.

Aside from the owl, nothing even slightly magical took place and Ryan returned to staring longingly out the window.

As the weeks drew closer, Ryan's excitement levels rose exponentially. Two weeks before she was to leave for school, they were set to meet with Himelda again to confirm all the final details and make sure everything was ready for Ryan's departure.

Ryan woke up the morning of, full of excitement and nerves. She bounded out of her bedroom and into the living room, already completely dressed while her parents were still in their pajamas. They were at the table finishing breakfast when she came out, and her father looked like he couldn't help but grin at her.

"Hon, we have another hour before Ms. Lockey gets here," He directed toward her.

Ryan blushed, "I know…" she muttered as she sat down at the table to eat.

Ryan shoveled food into her mouth and proceeded to pass the next hour watching the door, waiting for a knock. At exactly 11:00, she heard a crack and then the knock she had been waiting for. She ran to the door and threw it open, expecting the same bubbly witch that she had seen before.

A thin, balding man stood on her doorstep. He seemed incredibly tall to Ryan. But that could have been because of how lanky he was. He wore a wrinkled brown suit under black robes, with a stained red tie and cream shirt. He ran his head over what hair he had left, and Ryan got the distinct feeling he was nervous.

He looked startled, as though he hadn't expected the door to actually open. He looked down at her, wringing his hands together. She could practically see the sweat dripping off them.

"Mom! Dad!" she called over her shoulder, worried that if she looked away for even a moment, the nervous man would dissappear. Her dad showed at her shoulder first, frowning when he saw the man standing there. A small look of relief passed over the man's face, "Ah good. You're here. And you're okay. May I come in? We don't have much time." Although he had asked their permission, he didn't wait for the answering and quickly walked past them, pointing what Ryan now knew was a wand, at the door. It shut quickly, Ryan and her father jmuping back from it to avoid being hit. Her father was starting to look more alarmed, and Ryan was beginning to understand that something wasn't right at all. She looked from her father's face to the man now walking around their living room, pointing his wand around it and muttering different things. It was silent in her living room as she and her father watched the man muttering, pointing, and pacing, until he seemed satisified that they were alright for the moment and relaxed slightly.

He took one more look around before he turned back to her father, "You're probably going to want to get your wife sir."

Her father paused for a moment, then walked to the hallway while keeping his eyes on the man, "Hon, we need you out here." He looked at the man in their living room who was now inspecting their remote. "Now." Her father added hurriedly.. Her mother walked out huffily, her make up half done and her hair up in a messy bun.

"What are you yelli-" her mother began in a voice full of irritation, but stopped midsentence when she saw the man standing in front of her.

The man wasted no time once he saw her mother, "Oh good, you're all here, sit, sit." The man said. ushering them to sit down, which Ryan found odd as she had never been told to sit by a stranger in her own house before.

Her parents seemed to feel the same, but sat silently, making sure that Ryan was between the two of them.

Once they were sitting he smoothed his tie with shaking hands, before speaking "My name is Edward. Edward Byers. I've been sent by the ministry to collect you and take you back to Hogwarts. And we have to be quick. The portkey will be leaving in ten minutes. So please grab your overnight bags. And uhm. Yes, yes, that should be good." Her parents looked at each other before looking back at him. His father spoke. "I'm sorry?"

The man looked taken aback, then responded, sounding slightly shocked. "Surely you know about Hogwarts?"

Her mother tsk'ed and replied, "Yes. But she's not supposed to leave for two weeks." Her mother's voice sounded slightly panicked, and her hold on Ryan's arm tightened ever so slightly.

Mr. Byers struggled with his answer, "I apologize Miss, I'm not sure why you're needed, just that you are, and it's of the utmost importance." Her father jumped in this time sounding more frustrated "Look, we can't just go to England; Edward is it?" Edward nodded, turning slightly paler, as though he hadn't thought of what he would do if they were to say no. Her father continued, "We'd need to make arrangements for our jobs and home here, and unless you're planning to somehow take us to Europe and back by tomorrow, we'll need much more than an overnight bag. Even if we agreed to go, and we're not, but if we were, we would need time to pack and time to get our affairs in order. We have jobs, and plans, and places that we're meant to be. And we are definitely not going to another country two weeks early when we haven't even been told the reason why." Her father ended firmer than he had begun and Edward Byers looking from one to the other, imploringly. He seemed almost desperate. "Sir, please, I don't know why, but we need to leave in-" he looked down at his watch, "-5 minutes. They will explain when we arrive. I assure you." Her father put an arm around her, pulling her close. "We're not going anywhere until we understand why." Mr. Byers was about to reply when they heard a bang at the front door. Ryan jumped and held tighter to her father. Her parents jumped up and moved further away from the front door, looking to Mr. Byers to explain. They heard gruff voices and then another bang, moving the door.

"Two minutes. My wards should hold long enough..." Mr. Byers said, sounding as though he were trying to convince himself as much as he was them.

One more bang and part of the door blasted off, leaving a giant hole on the bottom right of it.

"One minute. We're out of time. Hands on the book please." Mr. Byers said urgently. "Please, sir!" He practically shouted, looking at the door and back to her father. Her parents looked at each other, then stepped towards the book. Her father made sure she was in front of him when he put his hands on the Webster's Dictionary copy Mr. Byers held. Ryan's father, mother, herself, and Mr. Byers all had their hands on the front cover, and Mr. Byers was counting down while looking at his pocket watch. "Ten, nine, eight..." BANG. Ryan peeked around her father towards the door, her heart beating faster than she ever remembered. "Seven, six, five..." BANG. The rest of the door came off and two large men in strange masks came in and started to run towards them when they saw the four of them standing there. "Four, three, two..." The larger man lifted his hand, which was holding a wand, and yelled something Ryan didn't understand towards them. "One."

There was a flash of light from the man's wand and then Ryan felt a pull behind her bellybutton, as though someone had reached in and made a handle out of the inside of her navel, pulling her forward. Ryan's eyes were closed tight, and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe as it felt like she was being pushed through a hole the size of a mouse. Just when she was convinced she would never make it to the other side, it all stopped. She was gasping on a cold ground, which felt like gravel. She opened her eyes and saw that they were sitting on a pathway just outside of what looked like a small village. The sun was setting behind the numerous trees that surrounded the town and the pathway they were on. She heard a spluttering gasp next to her and whipped her head around. Her father was laying on the ground, on his back. His arms were spread out at his sides, and he looked like he was convulsing. "Daddy!" Ryan cried, immediately scrambling to his side. She heard her mother behind her, "Oh, Eric…"

"Oh no... I, I don't..." Mr. Edward Byers was paler than ever and he was tugging at his robe again. He closed his eyes, waving his wand down the path away from the village. A small, almost completely transparent mouse came out of the end of wand. It looked like it was running through the air towards a massive castle on the horizon. Ryan tried to estimate how far away the gates surrounding the castle were, but was pulled back to her father as he made more spluttering sounds. Her mother was there with him, tears streaming down her face as she stared down at Ryan's father, whose head was cradled between her mother's hands. She heard her mother whispering, "It's okay, it's okay…"

Ryan looked back at the castle, and then to the nervous man standing next to them.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Ryan asked him, tears slowly filling her eyes.

Mr. Byers opened his mouth and closed it, then opened it again before closing it again. "I…I've called for help… They should be here any moment…"

Ryan looked helplessly back at her father's, who was still now, but looked to be barely breathing. She could feel panic welling up inside her like a cold weight. She turned to her mother. "Mom?" she said, in a thick voice.

Her mother looked at Mr. Byers, "We can't wait. He needs help now."

Mr. Byers glanced back at the castle again, then back at them helplessly. It was clear he had no idea what to do in this situation other than to wait for help.

Ryan's mother let out a small frustrated scream at his lack of reply. Her voice sounded tight when she spoke. "MR. BYERS. We're going to move him. He needs to go there, right?" She jerked her head towards the castle and he nodded, quick small jerks that made it look as though maybe he would start convulsing any minute now too.

Ryan moved to his legs, prepared to help in whatever way she could to save her father. The man next to them made no move to help carry him, and her chest began to tighten as the panic worked it's way up from her gut, to a lead feeling on her chest. They needed to move him, they couldn't just wait here while whatever was happening to him got worse. "Help us!" She said to him, her voice rising slightly. Mr. Byers glanced up towards the castle one more time, possibly as one last plea for help to be on it's wau.

It was as still as it had been since they had arrived a minute ago. He gulped and turned back to her father, lifting her father's legs at the feet while her mother lifted her father with hands hooked under his armpits. Ryan helped with what little strength she had, moving to help hold him in the middle. Slowly they started to make their way up the path towards the castle. They walked and walked, and it felt as though the castle weren't getting any closer. This path had to be much, much longer than Ryan had initially thought. When they were about halfway to the gates, they finally saw movement. A light was bobbing quickly from the castle itself toward the gates. They saw it pause as the gates opened and then saw the light bobbing quickly towards them, gaining speed once the person holding it was able to see the 4 of them. Once it got close enough, Ryan was able to make out the shape of a woman attached to the lantern. She was wearing black robes, which were billowing around her feet as she rushed towards them. She had rectangular glasses sitting on her nose with hair that was pulled back into a tight bun. She currently donned a worried look on her face and it was only emphasized by the light and shadows cast on it from the lantern she was carrying. She already had a wand out and pointed at her father. Ryan suddenly felt the weight lift of her arms and bit her lip as he was pulled away from them. Her arms hurt worse than they had ever felt before and she suddenly felt very, very tired. Her eyes widened as she saw her father floating in the middle of the air without anyone holding him up. Ryan gasped slightly as she felt her mother's hand grab her own, squeezing reassuringly. Ryan saw her mother open her mouth to speak, but the woman cut her off before she was able to, "Not out here. We need to get inside. We will answer your questions once we are safe." She then turned swiftly and started walking back to the castle, directing Ryan's father the rest of the way with her wand. Ryan squeezed her mother's hand as they proceeded the rest of the way towards the gates. They passed through the gates and Ryan shrank into her mother at the large boar statues sitting by them. In the darkening light, they looked harsh and vicious. She shivered and looked behind her as the gates closed, feeling as though they were closing on and locking out a part of her life that she would never go back to. She looked forward again, nervous and scared as they started up the stone steps to oak doors larger than any she'd ever seen.

* * *

The castle had large double doors at the top of it's front stone steps, which were already open when their small party reached them. Ryan couldn't stop her jaw from dropping as she crossed the threshold and saw Hogwarts for the first time. It was incredible. The floor was smooth marble, polished to a shine. The stone walls were covered in what seemed like _thousands_ of paintings. Ryan narrowed her eyes and walked towards the closest one, tugging her hand out of her mother's as she tried to get a closer look. She had sworn she had seen…but no, it couldn't be. Paintings couldn't move.

She jumped back as the older man in the painting yelled at her, "What are you looking at?" She stared wide eyed, and reached a shaking hand forward to touch it. It felt like a normal painting. But the figure in it was moving. Currently he was trying to push her finger off to no avail. "Get your grubby paws off." He said, his voice strained as he tried in vain to move her finger. She moved her hand off, her pain and panic temporarily pushed from the forefront of her mind at this discovery. The smile fell off her face as she spun around though, her eyes searching frantically for the group that had her father. She found them going up a large staircase in the middle of the hall and she ran to catch up, trying but failing to take the steps two at a time. She caught up, wheezing as she slipped her hand back into her mother's. The stern woman moving her father lead them up a couple more staircases and down a long hallway to a stone gargoyle. "Fizzing Whizbees." The woman said. Ryan didn't know whether or not to laugh. It was not the time and place, but she couldn't stifle the giggle that bubbled up at this woman saying such ridiculous words in such a stern way. The gargoyle hopped aside and revealed a spiral, stone staircase waiting behind it. The woman began to move up the staircase, which had started to spin as she stepped onto it. Mr. Byers stepped on after, followed by Ryan and her mother. Ryan was reminded of an escalator, but an escalator seemed out of place in this old castle.

At the top, they stepped off onto a small landing in front of gleaming wooden doors. The woman knocked, saying "Albus, it's me."

The doors swung open and revealed a room that was covered in portraits of older men and women all chittering excitedly to one another. The room had little tables covered in instruments and moving objects, and that Ryan had never seen before and couldn't even begin to figure out what they did. Sitting at a desk, framed by the windows overlooking the scenery behind the castle was a... well a wizard. There was no other way to describe him. He had long, shining, silvery hair that danced in the dim candlelight. He had a beard of the same color that was long enough to disappear below the line of the desk he was sitting at. His robes were a midnight blue with a pattern of silver stars. He looked up from his desk and Ryan was struck by the youth she saw in his light blue eyes. His eyes were looking over the tops of half moon spectacles and he met Ryan's eyes almost immediately.

He stood up as he took in the state of her father and addressed the stern woman, "Please take him to Poppy, we need him taken care of quickly it seems." She gave a curt nod and turned, quickly leaving the room. He then turned to Mr. Byers, "Edward, do you know the spell used on him?"

Edward replied, stumbling over his words. "N-no, I'm so sorry, I just... I didn't hear it... I was counting down..." The tall man held up a hand, stopping him. "It's alright Edward. You did what you could, I appreciate you bringing this family to me quickly, and mostly uninjured." Mr. Byers' cheeks flushed and he nodded, "Of course, Professor D-Dumbledore, sir..."

"Please report back to the minister and advise him that the Lewis' are at Hogwarts and out of harm's way for the time being." Mr. Edward Byers nodded and left quickly, the door shutting quietly behind him. Almost as soon as it closed, the stern woman walked back in. "Mr. Lewis is with Poppy and being treated."

The man Mr. Byers referred to as Professor Dumbledore replied, "Thank you Minerva." She nodded and stepped back, but didn't leave the room. The older man walked from behind the desk, with a grace that Ryan wouldn't have expected from a man who looked as old as he did. Turning his attention to Ryan and her mother, who had been chewing on her lip, as she watched the scenes unfolding in front of them, he stated "You must be Abigail," to her mother, holding out his hand and revealing long, thin fingers. "Yes," She replied, shaking his hand and replying in a voice much more stable than Ryan had thought it would be. He then turned to Ryan, offering his hand to her as well. "And you must be Ryan," he said, saying her name with a sense of importance that Ryan didn't really understand.

Ryan was scared and confused, but she took strength from her mother's confidence and tried to mimic the stability in her voice as she raised her head and replied, "yes," as well.

The man smiled and stepped back so that he could address the two of them. Ryan squeezed her mother's hand harder, feeling as though she had just been given a test by the man in front of her, though a test for what she was unsure. The older man spoke slowly, "It is very nice to meet both of you, though I am very sorry it was under these circumstances. I am Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of this school. I am sure you are both very confused and I will do my best to explain everything to you. I ask that you hold all questions until I am done speaking. I will then be very happy to answer any and all questions you have left." He then pulled a wand out of the pocket of his robe and waved it, saying "I am sure you are both going to want to sit. You have been been through quite a lot tonight." Ryan frowned and was about to say that it didn't look like they actually had any chairs to sit on, when she heard a gasp from her mother. She turned to see what her mother had gasped at and saw that two plump, maroon chairs had appeared behind the two of them. Ryan's jaw dropped only slightly, but she recovered quickly and sat. Ryan flexed her hand slightly as her and her mother's hands detached not realizing how sore it had become after holding her mother's hand for who knows how long. She brought her legs up onto the chair and tucked them underneath herself and to the side.

She glanced at her mother. She was sitting up very straight, hands folded in her lap with her eyes focused intently on the wizard standing in front of them. Ryan turned her attention to him as well and he smiled at the two of them, then began.

"I am first going to tell you of a part of wizarding history that is very important for you to understand before you can begin to understand the importance of what is happening to you both. A little over eleven years ago, there was a very dark wizard who was a part of our world. He went by the name, Lord Voldemort." Ryan heard a small gasp from the woman behind her after he said the name. He paused to glance at the witch still behind them before continuing, "He was one of the most terrifying and powerful wizards our world had ever seen. It was dark time, when he was strong. He seemed to be unstoppable. He was killing both muggles and wizards alike, anyone who stood in his way. His goal was to rid the world of muggles, and punish all wizards who defied him or believed differently than him. One night ten years ago, however, he attacked a family by the name of Potter." He said the name Potter similar to how he had said her name earlier, with an air of importance that she still didn't understand. She had found herself creeping closer to the edge of her chair, enraptured with the story he was telling.

Dumbledore continued, "He murdered both of the parents, but when he attacked the young boy, his curse rebounded and he was destroyed." Dumbledore placed his hands on top of the desk, folding them together.

"However, there are still many of his supporters who would like to continue his work. We are now to the part that concerns you. There are some of these followers who have decided to continue his work, but in other countries, further away from the ministry's eye. From what we can understand, they found your name on al its of muggleborn students in Northern America. When we heard, we sent someone to collect you as quickly as possible." He paused at the terrified look on her mother's face, "I can assure you with utmost confidence however, that Hogwarts is entirely safe."

He looked at a pocket watch that he had pulled out of a pocket in his robes. "Ah, look at the time. Ryan, I am sure you are very tired. I should like to speak with your mother for just one more moment and then you can both go to sleep in warm beds." Ryan understood she was being dismissed but did not particularly like the idea of being kicked out when she was sure that important information was about to be shared. She also didn't like the idea of being separated from her mother after everything that had happened that night.

She made no move to get up and Professor Dumbledore addressed her again, smiling knowingly, "I do admire how well you're handling this, Ryan. However, I need to speak with your mother; simply regarding transfer issues and your father. I will only be borrowing her for a second."

Ryan's mother turned to her, giving her a tired smile. "It's okay sweetie, it'll be quick, alright?"

Ryan still wasn't happy with it but knew they wouldn't let her stay in the room, "...Okay." She replied, reluctantly.

She stood up and went back through the gleaming door, sitting on the landing against it, pressing her ear to the dark wood and hoping she'd be able to hear something. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear a single thing. She huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. She pushed aside all thoughts she had concerning everything she had heard in that office, knowing that she wouldn't want to be interrupted once she started trying to figure out what it all meant. She instead turned her thoughts to her father, wondering if he was okay and when she'd be able to see him.

* * *

She had just started drifting off when the door again opened. She jerked awake and fell back as the door she had been leaning against pulled inward. She scrambled to her feet, to face the two adults now standing in the doorway. Her mother looked troubled and Dumbledore looked almost somber. The stern woman looked no different then she had earlier. His expression softened and change immediately as he gave a small smile to Ryan and said "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. I don't believe you've had the opportunity to be properly introduced to my colleague here. This is Professor McGonagall. She will be showing you to your chambers for the evening and I will see you tomorrow after we all get a well rested night's sleep." His voice betrayed none of the somber look she had seen a moment ago. The two women stepped out and past her, and he gave one last smile as he closed the large doors. The doors shut with a thud, which echoed in the empty stone tower. It was silent for a moment, and then the woman called Professor McGonagall moved to the front of them and stepped onto the moving staircase. "Follow me," she instructed. Ryan took her mother's hand again as they stepped onto the stairs, leaning against her as the fatigue started to take it's toll on her. She hadn't held her mother's hand this much in years, since she had decided she was too old to hold her parents' hands. It had felt childish then. But at this moment, her mother's steady and strong hands felt only reassuring and safe.

Professor McGonagall led them down a hallway and a few sets of staircases, warning them to stay close as the staircases could move. Ryan's eyes had widened at this, and she watched the rest of the way to their room for any moving staircases. She saw none.

They finally stopped in front of a door, in a hallway full of similar doors. McGonagall took out her wand and pointed it at the lock, at which Ryan heard it click open. They walked inside what looked to be an office, filled with things she had only seen in museums, books, or movies. It had a desk with actual scrolls of paper stacked and spilling across it. Quills and different colored bottles of ink also lined the desk. The room was lit by a fire burning in a large fireplace, along with multiple torches on the walls. Ryan frowned. Had she seen a picture of it and was not actually standing in the room, she would have thought this scene was hundreds of years ago.

The room was decorated minimally, mostly in draped colors of red and gold. There was an emblem of a large rearing gold lion, on the fabric draped directly behind the desk.

McGonagall waved her wand at the empty wall next to the fireplace and a door that had not been there a second ago, appeared. She pushed it open, and behind it were two simple cots, two chairs, and a window that looked out onto a dark landscape.

"These will be your chambers for the night. I will be back for you in the morning. If you need anything, there is paper in the adjoining room and I will leave an owl. Please address it to myself or Professor Dumbledore." She paused for a moment, looking as though there was something else she wanted to say. She shook her head and said simply. "Well. Goodnight." Before turning and leaving the room.

Ryan stared after her for a moment, then turned towards her mom, unsure what to do in the sudden silence.

Her mother pulled her in and gave her a tight hug. They stood there for a moment in the silence like that. Ryan breathed in her mother's scent, a mix of sweat and her perfume. In the middle of that strange room and strange situation, that scent and her mother's embrace were the only comfort she had. Her mother gave her a soft kiss on her head, before pulling away and turning to inspect the room.

She walked towards a door that Ryan hadn't even noticed was there and pulled open the heavy wood. Her mother let out a wry laugh, "Well at least we have our own bathroom."

"Do you need to go Ry?" Ryan shook her head no. Her mother nodded and shut the door and then Ryan was alone.

She sat on the bed closest to the window and looked around the small room. There was one torch on the wall, burning and providing a flickering, yellow light. Shadows danced on the walls and Ryan found it oddly calming. She stared out the window, her gaze falling upon a small hut with light shining from the windows in front of a dense, dark forest. The tops of the trees swayed softly in a breeze and were illuminated by the almost full moon. The forest almost seemed darker somehow then the rest of the grounds, absorbing none of the moonlight it seemed like, and Ryan felt a shiver run through her at the ominous scene. She shook her head and turned to inspect the rest of the room and her gaze fell upon two sets of deep red pajamas folded up on one of the chairs. Ryan stood and walked over to them, picking up both. Assuming the smaller pair was hers, she setting them on the bed closest to the window, and the other pair on the bed her mother would be sleeping on. She flopped back on the bed that was hers, staring at the ceiling and tracing all the marks and cracks in the stone. She turned her head toward the opposite side of the room as her mother opened the bathroom door. Ryan tried to muster a smile.

"They gave us PJ's," She said, pointing to the pair she left on the other bed. Her mother gave that same tired smile and sat on the bed Ryan wasn't currently occupying.

"Sweetie, you should clean yourself up in the sink, okay?" Ryan took in her mother's hair and noticed that it was darker than usual. She assumed her mother had done the same thing.

She grabbed the pair of pajamas off her bed and went into the bathroom. It was small, and had a torch lighting it as well. She turned on the faucet, flipping her head over and sticking it under the the stream of water. The water was cold and she shivered as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get out the tangles. She let out a groan of frustration as her fingers caught again and again.

Fifteen minutes later, she was drying her hair using one of the small towels provided in the bathroom. She tugged her grungy t-shirt over her head, dropping it on the ground. She did the same with her dirty jeans. She scrunched her nose as she looked at her small pile of clothes. They had been her favorite shirt and jeans and she was sure they would never look the same now. She sighed and ran the towel under the stream of water then proceeded to scrub herself clean as best she could.

After she was done, she quickly pulled the pajamas on and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her curls were currently a dark brunette with the water, and her heart shaped face was significantly paler than normal. Her brown eyes looked dark in her pale face, and the small amount of freckles she had showed dark underneath her eyes. Despite how bad she looked, she felt decidedly better after cleaning up and putting on fresh clothes.

She exited the bathroom to find her mother sitting on the bed, staring out the window. Ryan crawled onto the bed to sit cross legged next to her mom. Her mother wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, so that Ryan's head was resting against her mother's shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" her mother asked softly. Ryan didn't answer right away. She thought about it. She was tired. And sore. And confused. And worried about her father. And honestly a little scared of what tomorrow would bring. But right now she felt safe and warm, and was simply tired more than anything. "I'm okay right now." She responded, just as softly as her mother had spoken.

Her mother smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. "You are so strong."

Ryan smiled and snuggled into her mother a little bit more. "Are you okay?" Ryan asked. Her mother laughed. "You're not supposed to be asking me that, that's my job. But I'm okay, just a little overwhelmed I think. Do you have any questions?"

"Tons. But I can ask them tomorrow."

Her mother laughed again at her response. "Well what say you we get to bed then?"

Ryan nodded emphatically and her mother gave Ryan one last squeeze before Ryan up so Ryan climbed underneath the covers on the other bed. Her mother tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you very much. Everything is going to be okay."

"I love you too, Mom."

Her mother smiled and blew out the torch, leaving the only bit of light to be the silver glow from the moon outside. Ryan stared out the window and the star filled sky and felt herself slowly slip into sleep as she was thinking that this had to be one of the most comfortable beds she'd ever slept on.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan woke the next morning slowly, caught in the state between dream and sleep as she gradually became aware of the light behind her eyelids. She felt herself smile as she remembered the dream she had just left behind. She had been battling the evil Borlacs next to her favorite heroine, Arianna Everett. Arianna was the main character in Ryan's favorite novel. She was strong, brave, a warrior, and a defender of all things good. Ryan opened her eyes turning toward her bedside table where the book usually sat, and was confused for a moment when she saw a blue sky framed by grey stone, instead of her normal white window panes. As she blinked in the bright sun, the previous night came flooding back to her. She scrunched her eyes closed tight, wondering if maybe she could just will herself back to sleep. She gave up, knowing it wasn't going to happen and sat up. She winced as she stretched her arms and sore muscles. They felt much worse the day after.

The door leading to the office opened, and she saw her mother's head pop into the room around it. A smile spread across her mother's face when she saw Ryan was awake.

"Morning sweetie. Professor Dumbledore is here." Ryan nodded and flopped back on the bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling as she procrastinated getting a start on the day, but finally stood up.

Ryan got dressed quickly, looking around the room before she realized that the only clothes she had were her dirt caked clothes from the day before. Seeing no other option, she quickly pulled on the jeans and tee, scrunching her nose at the smell that accompanied them. She uselessly tugged at her clothes for a moment, and when she was as presentable as could be, she opened the door and walked out to meet the Professor.

The office looked entirely different in the daytime. Sunlight now streamed through the large windows, setting the lion's mane ablaze, almost making it seem alive. The dark colors from the night before were now brilliant scarlet and shining gold. Where shadows had played in the corners, now sunbeams danced. Ryan was suddenly reminded that this would be her home for the next year and a small bubble of excitement grew and waded into the mix of her current emotions

Professor Dumbledore was currently standing at the window, his white beard tucked into the purple robes he had donned today. He was looking out at the grounds with a thin hand stroking his beard. As soon as he heard the door, he turned with a smile.

"Ah! Good morning!" He said, his light blue eyes twinkling behind the half moon glasses. He took in Ryan's dirty appearance, and then her mother's and frowned slightly.

"Ah, well. In the excitement of last night, we seem to have forgotten about clean clothes. I'm sure we'll be able to find something more comfortable shortly."

He gave a small smile and gestured toward the hall, "Shall we?"

He waited for them to precede him out the door and Ryan heard the click of the lock at the flick of his wand after closing it. They followed him back through the hallways and flights of stairs (Ryan DID see two staircases move this time) and back to the office from the previous night. When they entered the room this time however, there was already someone else waiting for them. A short portly man, turning a bright green bowler in his hands, was sitting in one of the plump chairs that Ryan and her mother had been sitting in less than 12 hours ago. He stood as they came through the door, clearing his throat.

"Ah, Cornelius, you made it," Dumbledore said pleasantly before sitting behind his desk and conjuring up another identical chair so there were enough places to sit for all of them. Ryan and her mother gave small, uncertain smiles to the stranger as he stuck out his hand to Ryan's mother saying, "Ah yes, hello, you must be Mrs. Lewis."

Ryan's mother nodded, shaking his hand. "And, you are?" She said.

The man looked almost shocked that they didn't know he was. "Well, I'm the Minister of course."

Ryan's mother blushed, "Oh…of course…"

Her mother had no reason to be embarrassed, how could they have been expected to know who he was? Ryan thought to herself, already feeling she probably wouldn't like this man very much. Ryan waited a moment before sitting in one of the chairs huffily once she realized that he wasn't going to introduce himself to her as well.

"So, Albus, let's begin."

Dumbledore gave a small smile, "I believe we should wait for Hagrid first, Cornelius."

"Ah, yes, of course..." The minister mumbled, sitting down and continuing to fidget with his bowler.

They waited ten minutes in silence, the minister keeping his eyes fixed on the hat between his hands. The only sound was the occasional hums from Dumbledore, whose pleasant expression never wavered as he drummed his fingers softly together. Ryan's eyes roamed over the countless portraits on the walls, all of (what she assumed were) witches and wizards, seated in varying chairs. They reminded her of portraits that she saw in the Getty Center when they had visited Los Angeles once. Large, intimidating portraits of famous leaders decorated the walls, all posing for their likeness to be painted and remain as a part of history. Of course, those paintings didn't move.

All of a sudden, there was a booming knock at the door. Ryan and her mother both jumped a little, but Dumbledore seemed completely unphased.

"Come in" Dumbledore called.

The door swung open and a large, rumbling shape made its way through. Ryan's jaw dropped only slightly as she took in the man before her. She had never before thought that giants could exist, but she was sure this man standing in front of them had to be one. He was larger than any person she had ever seen, with wild black hair and an untamed beard to match. When he spoke, it was in a gruff voice as he addressed the Professor "Hullo sir, yeh asked fer me?"

Dumbledore gave a wide, warm smile.

"That I did. Would you please escort Ryan here down to the hospital wing to see her father?" Dumbledore gestured toward Ryan as he said it. The large man's black eyes landed on her and she met them nervously.

"O' course." Hagrid replied, nodding his large head at Ryan.

"If you would please, Ryan, you will be in very good hands with Hagrid, I assure you." Dumbledore said to her. She sighed slightly, realizing that she was yet again being shooed.

She hopped down without a word and started to head after the man named Hagrid when Dumbledore stopped him, adding, "And can you please see about getting a change of clean clothes for our guests?" Hagrid's beard moved in a way that gave Ryan the impression he was smiling, and nodded before leading Ryan out the door.

Hagrid led the way back out of the tower and began down another hall with Ryan nervously in tow. There were so many halls. How would she ever find her way around this school?

She leaned her head back to look up at the face of the man next to her, which was practically entirely hidden by hair. He met her eyes, which were crinkled with a smile. She timidly smiled back.

"Yer gonna like it at Hogwarts. No better school. And no better headmaster 'n Dumbledore, I can tell yeh that."

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" Ryan asked after a moment.

"Yup. Tha' was years ago though." He responded with a low chuckle, "Hasn' changed tha' much. Except Dumbledore's Headmaster now, o' course."

Ryan had a hard time keeping up as she began gazing around in awe at the stone hallways they got further through the castle. Most of the torches from the previous night had been extinguished and the light had been replaced by the natural light now streaming through the large windows, which were placed every couple feet.

She and Hagrid made their way down multiple stairs and hallways, and Hagrid pointed out different paintings of creatures, telling her all about them. She made sure to listen intently as he told her about creatures she had never believed existed, such as unicorns and dragons; and other creatures she had never heard of before and couldn't even pronounce.

She was so enraptured with Hagrid's creatures, that she was surprised when they reached their destination. They ended up in what Hagrid called the Hospital Wing. The doors to this wing were propped open, revealing a long room, with white, sterile looking cots lining the walls. As the two of them walked in, a woman wearing what looked like an old fashioned nurse's uniform came hurrying out of a room near the front of the wing.

"Ah, Hagrid. How can I help you?"

"I'm jus' bringin' young Ryan here t' see her Dad. Tha' alright?"

"Oh. Yes, quite alright. Just try and be quiet. He's resting right now."

"Come on, your Dad is at this end." Hagrid motioned, leading her towards the other end of the long room. They walked towards a cot with a nondescript shape tucked into white blankets. She found herself biting her lip and slowing as they got closer, but let out a sigh of relief as she saw her father here, breathing. He wasn't awake, but he was alive. He looked so different than what Ryan was accustomed too. Her usually lively father was still except for the slow, ragged breaths lifting his chest. There were dark circles under his eyes, made more obvious by the paleness of his face. Ryan bit her lip again as she felt the tears welling up. She reached forward tentatively, almost afraid to touch him. Her hand hovered over his for a moment, then she closed the gap and touched the back of his hand softly. When nothing consequential happened, she closed her hand around his tightly. For what felt like the millionth time since this began the day before, she felt tears making their way down her cheeks. She dropped down into the chair next to the bed and laid her head onto his chest and started to let herself truly cry. She heard the curtain move behind her and the heavy steps as Hagrid headed away to give them some space, and she was glad there was no longer a stranger there to see her crying her heart out. Ryan was hoping that if she got all the tears out now, there would be no more to come later. While she cried, she let out all her fears to her father.

She told him about the strange castle, and the strange people, the secret conversations she wasn't allowed to be in and how scared she was that he wouldn't wake up. She cried until she couldn't any longer, until the tears slowed and stopped, and her heaves turned to sniffles. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, holding her unconscious father's hand, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to bring the attention back to herself. Eventually, she took a deep breath and sheepishly peeked around the curtain. She saw Hagrid sitting almost right outside the curtain and felt a blush warm her cheeks.

"Sorry..." she muttered, realizing he must have heard her crying and blubbering. She felt silly. He turned to her and offered a warm smile, easing some of the embarrassment. "Nothing t' be sorry for." He replied. He held out a bundle of fabric to her, and she saw a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She smiled, genuinely happy at the prospect of clean clothes. "Thanks!" She said, grabbing them out of his hand and disappearing around the curtain again.

She came back out, freshly dressed and feeling ten times better now that she was in clean clothes. Her eyes felt puffy and her face felt warm, but overall she felt the best she had since the morning before. Hagrid beamed at her.

"Ready t' go?"

Ryan looked back at her father, unsure she really wanted to leave him.

"He'll still be here, yeh can come back and visit if yeh want."

Ryan turned back around and nodded, "Okay..."

She followed Hagrid as he led her back out of the Hospital Wing and out the front of the castle.

The rest of the morning consisted of Hagrid showing her the grounds of Hogwarts. He lived in the small hut she had seen from her window the night before, but it didn't look so small up close. They walked along the edge of the dark forest, and when Ryan asked what was in there, Hagrid responded vaguely telling her only, "Creatures nastier than you'd want t' deal with, I can tell yeh tha'."

They eventually made their way to an oval shaped stadium, as large as the baseball field her family used to go to in San Francisco. Hagrid referred to this giant stadium as the Quidditch pitch.

"Quidditch?"

Hagrid laughed and began explaining it to her.

"So wizards and witches _actually_ fly on brooms?" Ryan asked incredulously.

"O' course. How else would we travel?" Hagrid had responded, chuckling.

At about noon, they headed back up to the castle and back through the maze of of hallways and stairs to the headmaster's office. Hagrid knocked as they arrived at the top of the spiraling staircase and heard "Come in," softly from inside.

They entered the office, and before she had a chance to comment on the fact he was alone, Dumbledore said, "Your mother is down visiting your father and will be up shortly. You're welcome to stay Hagrid."

Ryan sat in one of the chairs, as Dumbledore continued. "I took the liberty of having some lunch brought up. I hope you don't mind sandwiches."

Ryan hadn't realized how hungry she was until that moment and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly. The sandwich was surprisingly delicious, and she slowly felt more comfortable by the moment. Once she was comfortable enough to not really care what she looked like eating, she began stuffing her face, as Hagrid and Dumbledore talked in low tones about other issues.

Ryan finally paused to try the orange juice that had also been put in front of her, but frowned in surprise when it was much sweeter than she expected.

"What is this?!" She asked, staring at the innocent glass of liquid as though it had betrayed her.

Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling, as he answered.

"Ah, that would pumpkin juice. We are quite fond of it here."

"Pumpkin juice?" Ryan repeated, frowning at the glass again.

"I take it you don't drink this back home?" Dumbledore responded, a small smile still visible behind his silver beard.

Ryan shook her head, as she took another tentative sip. It wasn't so bad now that she was expecting it.

She heard the door open and turned to see her mother walk in, also in a pair of fresh jeans, and sporting a dark blue blouse. Professor McGonagall followed closely behind her. Ryan frowned as she took in her mother's haggard appearance. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks blotchy. Her red eyes and cheeks were only made more pronounced by the bags she had underneath her eyes, rivaling the ones Ryan had seen earlier on her father. She gave Ryan a weak smile as she sat down in the chair next to her.

Her mother said nothing and Dumbledore simply stated, "Shall we get started?"

Ryan's mother nodded and began speaking, as she turned to face Ryan. "Ry…. We won't be going back home. We're going to be moving here permanently. We feel as though it will be better for us overall. To be in the same country as your school. And Professor Dumbledore believes it will be the best for us, safety wise as well-"

Ryan interrupted her, the dread growing more and more with every word her mother spoke, "But all of our stuff, it's back home. How are we going to get it all? And what do you mean for our safety? What about our friends? and-" Dumbledore held up his hand, and Ryan paused, glaring.

"If you'll allow me, Abigail." He directed at Ryan's mother before addressing Ryan, "All very good questions. We will have your things brought back here. As for your safety, we are worried that these supporters may try again, should they know that you survived. Your friends will know that you moved away, but we believe it is in their best interest that they not know much more than that."

"Now, as a part of this safety precaution, we are going to ask you to go by a different last name. Is there one that you prefer?"

Ryan was confused. A new last name? How could she possibly choose a name other than the one she'd had her entire life? She began to run the names of her classmates through her mind and as she did so, a memory from her dream the previous night of her favorite heroine flashed through her mind, and she replied without second thought, "Everett."

"Everett," Dumbledore repeated thoughtfully. "Yes, that should do just fine."

"Now for our next matter of business. It is to my understanding that you have not yet gotten your school supplies. Hagrid has kindly volunteered to take you to Diagon Alley to collect the items on your list. You can have the remainder of the day to visit the hospital wing or explore the grounds if you like, and Hagrid will take you tomorrow. Do you have any other questions, presently?"

Ryan shook her head, which was currently reeling and thinking too fast for her to try and think of other possible questions. "Well, I am always available if you should find you do have more. Now, it looks like you could both do with a day to rest and recover."

"Thank you, sir," Ryan mumbled to the Professor as she and her mother stood to leave. The two of them headed back down the rotating staircase and waited for Hagrid to take them back to the hospital wing.


End file.
